Advocacy Tips for Medicare Advantage Enrollees Facing Difficulty Obtaining In-Network Care

The Center for Medicare Advocacy (CMA) recently released a tip sheet providing guidance to Medicare Advantage (MA) enrollees facing difficulty obtaining in-network care. This article addresses the complexities of MA plans, which can restrict enrollees to contracted networks of healthcare providers. Despite strengthened regulations by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) requiring MA plans to cover necessary care outside the network under specific circumstances, recent reports indicate issues with network adequacy. CMA emphasizes the importance of MA enrollees and advocates utilizing consumer protections, reporting difficulties in obtaining necessary care, and urging CMS to publicize and enforce these rights.